Monday, 29 September 2014

A Giveaway...............Who Knew?

That I would still be blogging after 5 years!! Yes, I have just passed my 5th Blog Birthday and have not quite hit 500 posts. I did intend to have both those factors coincide but hey, life goes on and in the big scheme of things, it's not very important is it?

Coming up to this milestone has made me think a lot about my blog, whether or not I should close the door on it or keep going. Blogging has shifted in recent months, maybe even in the last year. Has it changed for you too??

I started Bluepatchquilter as a link from one session of classes to another, to keep my ladies in touch over the big summer break. Little did I know that I would be discovering a whole new world online.........somewhere to discover the new enthusiasm for patchwork & quilting. Somewhere to learn new techniques, drool over new fabrics, new designers............where I made new online friends, all over the world, friends with a common purpose and interest..where sometimes virtual life morphed into real life.

I amazed myself that I managed to create my blog, all on my own. I learned as time went on that if ever "stuck" with techie issue, there is always someone to help.

I have dabbled in online swaps and become part of a fun Bee, I have taken part in charity drives and been humbled by the way quilters everywhere lend a hand to help bring warmth and comfort where needed.

I used to put myself under quite a bit of pressure to post regularly, it always seemed terribly important to get a lot of followers, I followed lots of other blogs and reading took up a great deal of time............and then there was Flickr & Pinterest too to keep up with.

Then along came Instagram and I think IG also stands for instant gratification, because response to mini IG posts is so quick - I tend to use it when I am at home, alone, quilting - it feels sometimes as if you have friends doing just the same, wherever they may be.

In conclusion, I don't think I need to dramatically stop posting - I shall just continue in my new, relaxed manner and post when I feel like it. I have been watching my stats over the past few months and I seem to have a lot of visitors per post but fewer comments. And that's fine because I think that parallels the way I am reading too, I don't always comment.

Anyway, in the time honoured tradition of anniveraries etc, I shall announce a bit of a giveaway. I have a few items to offer so perhaps the easiest question is for you to say in order, in a comment, which item you would like to win. 1,2 or 3. No other hoops to jump through - open to anyone, I shall try to remember to pick a winner by next Monday which will be 6th October, by 9pm GMT or BST or whatever our time thingy is here in the UK.

Offer 1 has to be one of my Mega Pinnies

Number 2 is a cushion cover made for a workshop - the colour is a coral pink (Kate Spain fabric if that helps pin it down) The cushion cover is quilted both back & front so quite luxurious. I will send it minus the cushion pad, for obvious reasons. I think it's about 18" square.

and finally, number 3 is a bit of a mystery prize as I forgot to take pics and now it's too dark - I have a couple of pieces of voile, possibly AMH, not sure, and a wee zippy pouch, it's a flat one, no gusset (horrible word!) I might even throw in a spool of Aurifil because blogging introduced me to that too.

57 comments:

Congrats on keeping posting Sheila - I heard somewhere that blogging is very much passé and the only ones doing it are over 35 - anyone younger having turned to IG or Twitter. As I'm over 35 and definitely past it, I'm happy to blog like you, as and when I feel like it. I would love any of your gorgeous prizes but if I had to choose - No.1 or some Amh voile would be wonderful. Thanks for the chance and soz for the essay.

I'm definitely in the category of reading but not always commenting! I still like blogging, it is so much more personal than IG, if a bit more time consuming! I'd love one of your pinnies....wished I could have taken your class! Juliex

Congratulations on your blogiversary. I for one don't bother with Instagram or Twitter as I enjoy reading blogs, although I don't often comment. I feel like I know the people I follow, even though I'm only a "follower" - and would certainly miss my blogs if I lost my internet. I love all AMH fabrics, she is my favourite designer, and the voile would be a lovely prize. jenNylarking at gmail dot com.

Happy 5th Sheila! Blogging has definitely changed and I know I comment less, mainly because Bloglovin doesn't let me a lot of the time. I miss Google reader which allowed me to comment easily and I miss flickr when it was helpful and easy to communicate with. HAve become an IG convert and think you are right about the instant gratification. I do love the longer story of the blog though!

Congrats S and I'm glad you've decided to keep blogging. Like you comments on my blog have dropped but folks are still reading. I'm not a huge IG fan so I guess I'm stuck with blogging! Would love one of your giant pinnies! Jxo

Yours was the first blog I found on the net after taking up patchwork for the first time in over 30 years...there's lots of great ideas...wish I could come to a class...but it is a long way from Cheddar! :-) and now it seems there are not enough hours in the day to sew and do the day job! I know which one I prefer!Thanks for the ongoing ideas and pictures.Best wishes for continuing! For the give away.. anything would be lovely, especially the mystery prize..then I could see what I could do with it all. Thank you for the chance. WendyWBooth-Boyd@hotmail.com

Your views on blogging and IG reflect mine. IG is just easier and quicker and so very instantly gratifying. But blogs are nice for filling in the gaps and I still try to read my friends blogs, though I comment far less than I used to. Trying to lessen the time spent on the computer overall. Meanwhile, congrats on five successful years of blogging, and so pleased to have met you here in our quilting online space. One day we will meet in actuality too!

I started following your blog when looking for UK quilters and I enjoy reading it although I don't comment much. I don't do IG or Twitter or Facebook or any other stuff like that, so I really enjoy reading blogs and am pleased to hear you're going to continue. I would love No. 2 but any of the others would be gratefully received too. Thank you for the giveaway.

thank you so much for offering the giveaway and Happy Anniversary to you and the blog! I love both items they are beautiful but I always love a surprise so I would have to say # 3 would be my choice. Mary - mburnette912@bellsouth.net

Sheila, keep on blogging.......it keeps us all motivated. Happy Anniversary to ya! I love your Pinnies, the bigger the better I say.The coral pillow cover would blend beautifully in my home here on the Atlantic in Virginia. So No. 2 it tis.

Happy Anniversary! Please keep writing and displaying pictures. I would be happy to win any of your 3 prizes. If I had to pick one, I would say my favorite is #1, one of your Mega Pinnies. Thank you for the chance to win!

Happy blogiversary!! I love looking at blogs and have not been commenting a lot recently either - too many projects on the go plus IG feeds to look at on top of all the blogs and Flickr. I love the prize #3 - mysteries are always fun!!!

Happy blogoversary Sheila! I still read blogs, but struggle to find time to comment, and I'm rubbish at posting on my own blog now. I would really love one of your giant mega pin cushions. I loved seeing all the gorgeous ones that were made a Stitch Gathering! It's a shame I was too busy teaching to get into your class myself! X

A happy blog anniversary to you, Sheila and hope to enjoy your blog for some years in the future. Mine's been going for over 7 years now, a bit up and down, some sewing some not. At the moment back to working full time, so maybe not so many posts as I did earlier in the year

Congratulations! I feel like I have my close blogging family all safely round me now - where you don't have to chat all the time, will be there when needed and just keep an eye out for what's going on; blogging for comfort not competition; well except real competitions!!No.3 if i should be so lucky ;)xxx

I'm so glad you're going to keep blogging - I'd miss you if you stopped and, unlike a lot of folks, I'm not on IG (and not likely to be!) so I'm still reading and commenting on blogs! If I'm the chosen one then I'd like a surprise - I love everything you make so will love whichever prize you send!

Congratulations on your anniversary. I too started blogging with a fairly narrow aim in mind, and soon found that there was so much more out there; more than I'd ever dreamed of. Thank you for holding a giveaway, and as I can always use more fabric, I choose number 3.

Congratulations on 5 years of blogging - I have only just discovered you and I have signed up for your email - I like the work I see and I like your style. All of the prizes look and sound great - I am intrigued by the Mega Pinnie - I had no idea what it could possibly be so I thought I would check out your tutorials and there it is - how silly - of course it is a pincushion. It is a lovely one and if I don't win yours I will make one using your tutorial. I am curious about the voile - although I don't know what AMH means - I would choose prize #3 first, then #1 and #2. Happy blogging.Pauline

Congratulations Sheila! I love reading blog posts but I hardly find time to comment on them. I'm new on blogging and I'm struggling with adding contents to my blog since I don't get to sew as much as before ☺ All the prizes are lovely, but if I had to choose it would be #2 because the color would be perfect for my family room. Thank you for the giveaway ☺

Congrats on your Bloggaversary. I found your blog via friend. I love reading blog posts. Don't do instagram, maybe someday, I do most all of the rest. It's a great way to share info to friends.Thanks for the chance.ncjeepster@aol.com

Hi Sheila - Thanks so much for the fabulous cushion cover prize - it has arrived and looks wonderful on my sofa. It is so beautifully made and I shall use it as a model and try to make another one in another colourway to your extremely high standard of work. Thanks again. Pauline